February 7, 2020
Dear Lower School Parents,
With the recent changes necessitated by the coronavirus outbreak, TAS is continuing the teaching and learning process to minimize the disruption to your child's daily experience. Below are some suggestions for helping you and your family navigate this period of school closure. Of paramount importance is the health and well-being of your family.
- Sleep: It will be important to stick to a regular sleep schedule for yourself and your children. Without adequate sleep or with an irregular sleep schedule with sleeping and waking times varying from day to day, our immune systems do not work as well leaving us more susceptible to illness. Making sure your children receive an adequate amount of sleep and they maintain a regular sleep schedule is of great importance and will make it much easier for everyone when school reopens.
- Honest Communication: Your child might express fears or concerns regarding the coronavirus and/or the changes that have occurred. It is important to address their questions honestly and directly, allowing their questions to guide your answers. There is no need to provide information beyond what they are asking, but it is important to be honest in your responses. Parents and caregivers need to keep in mind the greater impact their own attitudes and behavior can have on children as they take their cues from us. Patience and calm reassurance will go a long way to providing comfort.
- Routine: It will be important to try and maintain the same routine schedule for your child. Many children will have little or no reaction to the coronavirus outbreak and will respond more to the changes brought on by the school closure, such as excitement about an "extended holiday", irritation about missing friends, or just boredom. If this is your child, remind them that this is not a holiday, and to make sure they are engaged in all of the daily learning activities provided from school.
- Academic Learning: Students vary in their level of independence and their need for assistance with academic work. Your child is accustomed to being instructed in a classroom setting by highly skilled teachers who have a variety of methods to help your child learn - it's why you send them to school! Please don't expect yourself to take on the role of teacher for your child or expect the same level of mastery of new material. Your role should be to assist your child if they need help, provide encouragement, and to monitor your child's level of frustration regarding the work that has been assigned. If they are unable to complete the work or if they become overly frustrated, it's a sign that it's time to stop. We encourage our students to put forth effort and try their best in order to develop good study habits for the long term. Upon return to school, teachers will assess where their students are regarding the material and adjust instruction accordingly. Keeping students engaged in learning over the school closing is important and we encourage your child to do their best, to ask for help, and then, if unable to complete the work, move on.
You know your child better than anyone else. If there are aspects of the school closure or the coronavirus outbreak you think they may struggle with, anticipate it and address it before it becomes an issue. If boredom is a problem, talk with your child and together come up with some ideas about possible activities. If motivation to complete work is an issue, break work down into smaller chunks and provide praise for effort. Remind your children that they can make it through hours of school during a usual school day, and they can make it through this!
As always, if you have questions or concerns, please contact us. We will be checking our email regularly.
LS Counselors & LS School Psychologist
Jenn Fisher (fisherj@tas.tw)
Michael Grande (grandem@tas.tw)
Evie Slatter (slattere@tas.tw)
Cindy Teeters (teetersc@tas.tw)